Prevention, control of canine mange

Canine mange, as a highly contagious skin disease, can be effectively prevented and/or controlled once proper management practices are implemented.

The mites that cause mange normally move from one dog to another by means of direct or indirect bodily contact. {{more}}These micro-organisms are capable of remaining alive for months on walls, gates or any other structure in which an infected dog may have been in physical contact.

All it takes for mites to be present on your property is one bodily rub of an infected dog against any structure present there.

Dogs do not develop immunity against mange, neither are there any vaccines to give for protection. All these facts explain the difficulty in preventing this disease.

Mange may be prevented by spraying the fences, gates and other structures that are prone to be contaminated by mites. The spraying is done using an acaricide (Cypertick, Ectoban A or Triatix).

Controlling mange is best achieved through: separation of infected dogs from uninfected ones, bathing infected dogs with the above mentioned acaricide once every two weeks, and in severe cases an anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine drug may be necessary.

Next week’s article will deal with non-mange related skin diseases.